The Biden administration has given its second show of support this week for the Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline. The $6.6 billion project has been opposed by environmental activists, but has won the backing of Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a Record of Decision for the pipeline, and the U.S. Forest Service issued a permit allowing it to run through the Jefferson National Forest.
Senator Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat from West Virginia, has introduced a bill to speed fossil fuel and transmission line projects. He said the BLM move was “the next step in the process to finally complete this vital piece of energy infrastructure”. The pipeline still needs review and permitting including in West Virginia, and could still be held up or blocked by lawsuits from opponents. If approved, it would unlock gas supplies from Appalachia, the country’s biggest shale gas basin, and bring more than 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas online daily.